¨-~~===@## ##@===~~-¨
¨¨¨--=*@## ##@*=--¨¨¨
¨-~=*@#@## ##@#@*=~-¨
¨¨¨-=**### ###**=-¨¨¨
¨-~=*@##@# #@##@*=~-¨
¨¨¨¨¨-~*## ¨ ¨ ¨ ##*~-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-~*##@ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ @##*~-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~==*# - - - - - - - - #*==~¨¨¨¨¨
¨-~=*@##@@ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ @@##@*=~-¨
¨-~=*@###@ ======================================== @###@*=~-¨
¨-~=*@##@# #@##@*=~-¨
¨-~=*@#### JUST OFF THE COAST TO THE BALTIC SEA ####@*=~-¨
¨-~===*@## THERE'S A FRESHWATER POND, SECLUDED ##@*===~-¨
¨-~=*@###@ AMONG ASHEN AND JUNIPER. A CLEFT IN THE @###@*=~-¨
¨-~=*@##@# LIMESTONE BEDROCK, SHARP-CUT FROM THE #@##@*=~-¨
¨¨----=*@# SURROUNDING PLAINS, A NINETY DEGREE #@*=----¨¨
¨-~=*@##@# DROP DOWN, DOWN, TO THE MIDNIGHT-BLACK #@##@*=~-¨
¨-~=*@#@## WATER. ##@#@*=~-¨
¨¨¨¨-==@## ##@==-¨¨¨¨
¨¨---~*@## ~~~~********~~~~ ##@*~---¨¨
-~=*@##@## ~~** **~~ ##@##@*=~-
¨-~=*@#@## ~~~~~** FAIRIES LIVE HERE. **~~~~~ ##@#@*=~-¨
¨-~=*@##@# ~~** **~~ #@##@*=~-¨
¨-~=*@##@# ~~~~********~~~~ #@##@*=~-¨
¨-~=*@##@# #@##@*=~-¨
¨¨¨¨¨-=*@# THEY SPEAK TO THE SLOANE, CARESS IT, #@*=-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨--~=*#@ URGE IT TO GROW THICKER, TANGLED, WITH @#*=~--¨¨¨
¨-~=*@@@#@ LONGER AND SHARPER THORNS. THEY TELL IT @#@@@*=~-¨
¨-~=*@##@@ TO STAY JUST BELOW THE GRASS, SO THAT @@##@*=~-¨
¨-~=*@###@ THE ANIMALS WHAT COME TO DRINK THE @###@*=~-¨
¨-~=*@##@@ WATER CANNOT SEE IT BEFORE IT DRAWS @@##@*=~-¨
¨¨--=***@# THEIR BLOOD. CLOSER TO THE POND, THE #@***=--¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~~*@# SLOANE CAN GROW TALLER, BEING ABLE TO #@*~~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-==*@@# HIDE ALSO IN THE JUNIPER. #@@*==-¨¨¨
¨-~=*@##@# #@##@*=~-¨
¨-~=*@##@# THE FAIRIES WILL BECKON THE ANIMALS TO #@##@*=~-¨
¨-~=*@##@@ PUSH FORWARD, TELL THEM THAT THEY'RE @@##@*=~-¨
¨-~=*@#@## ALMOST AT THE WATER, THAT THEY MAY ##@#@*=~-¨
¨¨¨~~~~*#@ DRINK SOON. AND THEY WILL TUG ON THE @#*~~~~¨¨¨
¨-~=*##@## SLOANE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE THORNS CUT ##@##*=~-¨
¨-~=*@###@ DEEP. WHEN THEY FINALLY FIND THE PATH @###@*=~-¨
¨-~=*@##@# DOWN BETWEEN THE ROCKS, AWAY FROM THE #@##@*=~-¨
¨-~=*@@@@# BUSHWORK AND INTO THE CLEFT, THEY ARE #@@@@*=~-¨
¨¨¨¨~*@##@ BLEEDING FROM A THOUSAND WOUNDS. AS @##@*~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-~==*@# THEY DRINK FROM THE DARK WATER, IT IS #@*==~-¨¨¨
¨-~=*@##@# IN TURN DRINKING THE ANIMALS BLOOD. #@##@*=~-¨
¨-~=*@#### ####@*=~-¨
¨¨¨-~=*@## THE CIRCLE IS COMPLETE, THE CONTRACT ##@*=~-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~*# CARRIED OUT; THE ANIMAL IS ABANDONED TO #*~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨-~=*@##@@ FIND ITS OWN WAY BACK. THE BUSHES ROOTS @@##@*=~-¨
¨-~====@#@ DRINK THE NUTRUTIOUS WATER. THE FAIRIES @#@====~-¨
¨-~=***@@# DANCE IN THE SUNBEAMS. #@@***=~-¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~~*# #*~~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-~~*@#@ ======================================== @#@*~~-¨¨¨
¨-~=====*# ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ #*=====~-¨
¨-~=*@##@# - - - - - - - - #@##@*=~-¨
¨-~=*@#@## ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ##@#@*=~-¨
¨-~=*@#### ¨ ¨ ¨ ####@*=~-¨
¨¨¨-~~~*@# #@*~~~-¨¨¨
¨-~=*@##@# #@##@*=~-¨
¨¨¨¨¨~=*## ##*=~¨¨¨¨¨
¨-~=*@##@@ @@##@*=~-¨
¨-~=*@##@# #@##@*=~-¨